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Kantoni’s Upswing Trope

The usual translation for קטנתי “Katonti” in Vayishlach is “I’ve been diminished” or “I have become small” but the Torah trope melody (a dynamic upswing) suggests otherwise!

The seeming absurdity of singing “Katonti” to such a dynamic upswing tone is … Read the rest

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And Jacob was alone – not good to be alone.

On a Friday afternoon I attended a funeral at the Fuller Road cemetery just down the street of someone I didn’t know. An alumni friend (whom we know) called and said it was his old UAlbany college roommate (early 1980’s) … Read the rest

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The “Vshavti B’Shalom” Maamar

In 1977 the Rebbe shared a very long Maamar (a Chassidic discourse) titled “V’Shavti B’Shalom” based on the words of Jacob’s pledge/promise after his dream of the ladder in Parsha Vayeitzei. This was said not long after he suffered a … Read the rest

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Jacob’s Ladder & Two Road-Trip Stops

For Thanksgiving 2022 our family went on a road-trip to see 4 of Raizy’s siblings and their families in the Midwest. We drove through Canada, spent a night in Detroit, most of the weekend in Chicago and a morning stop … Read the rest

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Elon Musk’s “Hardcore” Letter to Twitter Employees and Closing Paragraph of Rambam’s Book of Acquisitions

It so happens that the daily study-cycle of #1ChapterRambam completed the Book of Acquisitions, unit on Servants/Slavery, on the very same day that Elon Musk is said to have sent the demanding “hardcore” letter to remaining not-yet-fired employees at Twitter … Read the rest

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Rabbi Shimon & Case of 2 Gardens – (Mendel’s Hebrew commentary)

The last Mishna in “HaBayit v’Aliyah” the 10th chapter (all about upstairs and downstairs apartments) of Talmud tractate Bava Metziah is the case of the upper and lower garden:

The case of an higher and lower garden that are owned Read the rest

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Diversify Songs and Jewish Life

One of our techniques to keeping Simchas Torah dancing going strong in a college campus Chabad House for 3+ or close to 4 hours is to diversify and change things up.

Simchas Torah is a time for fast lively songs, … Read the rest

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MBC, Simchas Torah Circles & the 3 Knots

Talk in the Sukkah this 5783/2022 found it way back to the viral “Yerushalayim” (Jerusalem) Song by MBC – Miami Boys Choir, that exploded all over TikTok. As we posted earlier, shared on Yom-Kippur, that while this song popularized Jerusalem Read the rest

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Simchat Torah Making Concentrate!

by Moshe Rubin

This Sukkot holiday I was reading some of Yanki Tauber’s “Inside Time” trilogy set on Jewish holidays and came across this story of the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Chassidus, that I … Read the rest

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Duplex Printing (and The Rusty Coin)

As you can see the table-cards for Friday Night in the Sukkah 5783/2022 are printed on two separate sheets of paper, instead of the double-sided table-cards they are supposed to be. That’s because we were rushing to get them ready … Read the rest

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